Coconut Oil: Healthy Fats in Good Amounts

Coconut oil has long been a staple part of the diet for many island cultures. In fact, coconut oil has been used for literally hundreds of years. Studies a decade or two ago seemed to damage the perception that coconut oil could be healthy since it was so high in fat, but even more recent findings show that in limited amounts coconut oil can be very healthy. There are two general categories of fat. There are the "bad fats" which increase fat, weight gain, and bad cholesterol, and then there are "good fats," which actually help the body fight bad cholesterol and keep the appropriate level of fat in the body.

Dieticians and nutritionists now generally agree that at a maximum 1/3 of a person's daily Coconut Oil: Healthy Fats nutrition can come from fat or oil, but specifically from good fats. Olive oil is an example of one of these good fats, and coconut oil falls in the same area. Coconut oil is full of good fat that helps fight the bad fat and cholesterol that can cause health problems. The use of coconut oil not only has the health benefits that good oils and fats do, but it also has health properties that boost the immune system to enable it to more effectively fight viruses and bacteria.

Coconut oil is extremely high in saturated fat, but most of that fat is the good type. So while coconut oil may be one of the highest sources of saturated fat in the world, it is the type that can help the body function. For individuals who are on a vegetarian or vegan diets where fats are hard to find, coconut oil can provide some badly needed substance for the body to function at full capacity. Don't judge this by generalities: remember that some fats are good, and coconut oil is among the best "good fats" that you can find.

All Article Text on this site is copyrighted© 2006-2007 weightcontrolroom.com All rights reserved. Do not copy.
The info on this site is for informational purposes only and not medical info in any way, see disclaimer.